Rockledge Regional Medical Center and Steward Medical Group welcomed a new member to their in team in David Bhola, DO., who is a primary care and sleep specialist.

BREVARD COUNTY • ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA – Rockledge Regional Medical Center and Steward Medical Group welcomed a new member to their in team in David Bhola, DO., who is a primary care and sleep specialist.

The addition of Dr. Bhola enhances access to care in the community for patients of Steward Health Care.

Steward is one of the world’s leading accountable care organizations that focuses on providing high-quality, affordable care at the right place, and at the right time, in a convenient, close-to-home setting for patients.

Initially, Dr. Bhola pursued a career in aerospace engineering and worked an internship in the space program in Daytona Beach, Florida. But he’d also been interested in medicine since childhood and saw a pressing need for healthcare providers – a realization that changed his professional direction.

“There are so many people who need great healthcare. Helping others is a part of something much bigger than what I was doing,” said Dr. Bhola.

“I believe in treating patients like they are my own family. In the medical field, I felt I could make a significant contribution to my community including my family, my in-laws, my neighbors, all who are part of the Brevard area.”

Dr. Bhola is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he received his doctor of osteopathy degree. He also studied biomedical sciences at the University of South Florida in Tampa and aerospace engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

His interest in sleep disorders began when he was treating a 30-year-old stroke patient and discovered the man had sleep apnea and wasn’t sleeping through the night at the hospital. Since then, Dr. Bhola has noted connections between sleep problems and other health issues. He worked as a nocturnist at Wellmont Medical Associates in Bristol, Tennessee, and has treated sleep disorders at Larkin Community Hospital in Hialeah, Florida.

During his medical career, Dr. Bhola also spent about a year and a half practicing rural medicine in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee. It’s a time he remembers fondly.

“It was a really good experience. In that part of the country you’re often the only doctor. You’re the one people go to for every little thing,” he said. “People there believe in their doctor and they’re very grateful. With that amount of responsibility, you have to take care of everything.”

“We are delighted to have Dr. Bhola join our team of providers at Steward Medical Group,” said Sanjay Shetty, MD, MBA, President of Steward Medical Group.

“Dr. Bhola brings a strong commitment to providing care in the community, and patients will benefit from his skills and expertise.”